Blitz
by Rire
Summary: Zephyr Blitz was no ordinary girl. Then again, Odd Della Robbia was no ordinary boy. Will childlike innocence turn into something more? COMPLETE! OxOC YxU JxA
1. Never Normal

-1Zephyr Blitz was easily labeled as "different." She was a little smallish for her age, lean muscled and made for running. She was skinny, but not model skinny. Healthy skinny. Her skin was pale not because she never saw sunlight but because she was Irish, and Irish people are pale. Her hair also looked Irish; it was red. Not an orange, curly red, but a long straight, deep red, so dark it looked almost like dried blood.

Her most interesting feature, as with many people, were her eyes. They were gray, not a dark, somber gray, but a very pale hue. In short, she was wall-eyed. However, it was not the color that made her eyes striking. It was the way she _saw _things with those eyes that made them so repelling and attractive at the same time. Sometimes they flickered from place to place like a moving candle, taking in everything with great accuracy and understanding. Other times they would stare steadily into someone, not at someone and not through them, but _into _them.

Zephyr had an interesting heritage. She was a fourth German, a fourth Greek, and half Irish. The German and Greek came from a man named Jack Blitz, and her Irish blood stemmed from her Irish-born mother, Alill Rankin. Being Irish she spoke Gaelic, and when she eventually learned English and then French, the accents were strangely harmonious.

When Zephyr is described internally, meaning her behavior, the perfect word is "tomboy." There exists not one childhood picture of her wearing a skirt or dress; her wardrobe of choice was a pair of guys' cargo pants - never shorts- and an undecorated t-shirt, usually a dark gray, completed by a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of running shoes. Even her voice was a tad boyish, giving the impression of husky wind chimes in the silence before a rainstorm or a battle.

There was something else…maybe something about a fire in her eyes or the way she was always on the alert, or the way she was confident in her stride yet ready to dash anywhere at any time that compelled people to laugh and say, "Oh, her? She's not normal!" Not by a long shot was Zephyr Blitz normal.

Odd Della Robbia was also far from society's unwritten standards of "normal." He was skinny and hyper, for one, when other boys were quiet and brooding. Odd also did not give a flip of what others expected of him, and it showed in the way he wore purple and yellow, and in the way he splashed purple gel unceremoniously through his messy, unkempt spiky hair every morning without fail. His face was kind, almost always plastered with a grin, particularly when his latest prank had just scored pay dirt. It, his face, I mean, was broad and boyish and innocent. He wasn't pale or deeply tanned, but he had a healthy sort of glow about him. His amber eyes were alight with a passion for joy, for hearing and creating laughter and smiles, a passion for childhood, for reckless abandon.

Odd had pure, clean bloodlines. His facial bone structure was Norweigian, that and his first name were rooted in his full-blooded mother, Bera. His last name spoke the other half of his bloodlines, clearly Italian. Odd had been born and raised in Italy, giving his voice an Italian ring that no other language can present.

Odd was, well, Odd. He skimped on his grades though his parents continually stressed their importance, and instead focused on dangerous things, such as pranks on Jim, the school groundskeeper. His most risky games were pranking the school diva and keeping a dog in his bottom dresser drawer, which was of course against school rules.

Odd had a look about him though, almost a yearning to understand and to be understood. He was curious and wonderfully reckless at the same time, and he was also kind, and his jokes were cracked mostly to keep his comrades in high spirits. Odd was always, "Friends first, me later."

That is what caused people to pick him out and say to strangers, "They didn't name him 'Odd'for nothing."

And out of these two people, this boy and this girl, rose and adventure, rose a story, but most of all emerged a friendship, forged by fate and tested by it. It all began when a pale Irish girl ran into a hyper amber-eyed boy.

Ok…there's sort of an introduction for you guys. My first story so no flames, please. This story does NOT have Lyoko in it, but it does have Aelita. I do not own "Code: LYOKO." This will have a plot and it will get better…no worries!


	2. Lucky we ran into each other

"You really need to lighten up, Ulrich," Odd informed, punching his brunette friend lightly in the shoulder. Ulrich scowled.

"You put _glue _in my shampoo, Oddball. I think it's you who needs an attitude change."

"It was washable, Ulrich, c'mon!" Odd pleaded his case with dreadful puppy dog eyes. Aelita giggled behind her hand and Yumi just shook her head and smiled. The group of five was walking around campus, killing the time left over from their lunch hour. The day was clear and bright, the sun staring down at them in the late summer afternoon. It was the perfect temperature without even the slightest breeze. Even Jeremie could not resist the call of the outdoors, as he normally kept himself locked away in his dorm, typing away online. Even at his present age of 10 he was a computer genius.(**A/N: In this story Jeremie and Aelita are 10 years old, Odd, Ulrich, and Zephyr are 11, and Yumi is 12 until it is noted in later chapters) **

It was a perfect day.

Aelita turned her head to a foreign sound. It sounded like it was just ahead, a little ways away, probably behind Jim's gardening shed. The voices were of young adolescent males, maybe 4 or 5 of them. Yumi sneered. She knew exactly who it was.

"Theo," She spat bitterly. The boy she spoke of was mature for his age, already vying for the Japanese girl's attention, much to the dismay of poor Ulrich. The group kept walking, now curious as to what was going on behind the shed. There was a loud thud, then what was clearly Theo's voice ringing brazenly through the courtyard.

"Hey, get back here!" A blur shot from behind the garden shed. It wasn't really a blur as much as it was a person sprinting, fueled by fear. It was going extremely fast, each foot barely touching the ground. It chanced a look back at its pursuers and its marvelous grace as put to an abrupt stop just as it smacked straight into Odd, momentum neutralized. The blond, however, was taller than what had collided with his frame and stayed standing, though a little dazed at what had just happened. He looked down at the former blur and saw a girl.

She looked at him with gray eyes, breathing just a little heavily. She was just sitting there now, knees bent, a scared gleam in her eye. Odd extended a hand to her, helping her up when she took it. She wasn't heavy at all, probably just shy of 90 pounds.

"Hi," He greeted, flashing his most winning smile, "I'm Odd. Odd Della Robbia." He waited for the witty remark, such as "But what's your _name_?" or "You sure are," but none came. There was no reply except for,

"Zephyr. Zephyr Blitz," and a returned, shy smile. Odd's smile grew a little wider as he introduced the others.

"That's Yumi Ishyama, Ulrich Stern, Jeremie Belpois, and Aelita Stone," He pointed to each and turn and they waved or said a simple greeting. Zephyr waved at them, again shyly. Odd was trying to decide if she really was a shrinking violet or if it was something else. He had no time to discover anything more about the girl as Theo and his cretins spotted her. She didn't make a sound, just nodded politely, turned, and leaped into her sprinting stride.

"She's weird," Ulrich remarked, watching her run, teasing Theo. She would slow down to a jogging pace, and just as Theo was launching himself through the air she shifted either left or right and back up to her top speed. They watched in amusmant as Zephyr led them on until they they gave up, Theo waving his hand dismissively at her. Odd and his friends noticed now that she stopped, winded. She looked back, a sunlit expression of triumph. She then walked to class like a normal human being would.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Class," Ms. Hertz pleaded as the tardy bell rang but the mouths of the students did not cease. Had Odd, Ulrich, Jeremie, and Aelita been able to see over the heads of standing students and the paper wads, spit balls, and rubber bands, thye might've seen the only quiet student in the room, standing at the front. "CLASS!" Ms. Hertz shouted. The students stared at her, then collectively, instantly took their assigned seats. The older woman calmed down by rubbing her temples with her wrinkled index and middle fingers and whispering, "Vacation," over and over in a whisper. She straightened herself up and cleared her throat. "Class, before we begin today I would like to introduce our new stundent, Zephyr Blitz. She's from America." The class grumbled a greeting and Odd could see her face light up when she saw the four people she already knew.


	3. Burdens

Chapter 3: Burdens

Odd squinted his amber eyes, trying to see what exactly his friend was pointing at in the distance.

"That one?" He asked, looking at a house with a rather ugly green shingled roof. Zephyr thwacked him lightly, playfully on the head.

"Ugh, no, you twit! The one three houses over, with the _normal _roof," She laughed. The two were on the roof of the school, a place not exactly forbidden but not the coolest hangout for twelve-year-olds.

"Oh, I see it now!" Odd exclaimed. "That's where you live? That's not far at all! Only about half a city block away."

"Yeah I know. That's why I don't live here," She headed for the door that lead ultimately down to the ground, far and safe below. Odd followed.

"Is it dinner time yet?" He asked, excited on the command of his bottomless stomach. Zephyr sighed and smiled wistfully, stuffing her hands in her pockets. The day had been perfect, even after the others had gotten tired or bored or had to study and ran off. She and Odd had become fast friends about a year ago, and when she sat down next to him on her first day she'd whispered,

"Lucky we ran into each other, eh?" So she had a friend. And when you're 11 and all alone, it's the absolute worst feeling in the world. Theo and his goons had finally deserted their attempts to catch her or beat her up, now that she was part of a circle of friends.

"Yeah, I guess it is. I'd better be heading home, then." She looked down for a split second, and Odd could sense just the slightest bit of dread in her husky voice when she said "home."

"Zeph?" He asked, filled with trepidation.

"Yeah?" She had stopped and was gazing off into the golden sunset. The sun seemed to penetrate her eyes and make them translucent. He was relieved that she wasn't looking at him, because when she seriously studied a person's face it was rather unnerving.

"Can I ask you something?" He said a little quietly. She laughed.

"You just did. But, go ahead anyways." Odd's tension was eased, but he didn't want her to be angry with him.

"Are you…okay?" She looked at him and cocked her head to the side, wrinkling up her eyebrows as if confused. He continued, "Like, is there anything you're keeping from me? Anything you want -or need- to talk about?" Zephyr bit her bottom lip but then looked back up at him, smiling.

"Nope. I'm fine, trust me." She gave him a pat on the back as she finally opened the door and started down the stairs.

"Are you sure?" He called after her.

"Absolutely," She grinned, but once again her pale eyes kept her from being completely convincing.

--------------------------------------------

Zephyr walked home from school alone, just as she had for a year. But right now she was mentally slapping herself for being so stupid as to let Odd catch on that there was something wrong. Dreadfully wrong. Now she was late, because she had stayed after. She prayed and wished and hoped for her father's car to be gone, or for him to be passed out on the couch in a drunken stupor like he was three of four times a week, maybe more. She wished more than anything that her mother, Allil, was there to protect her. Zephyr had a good bit of common sense, and she knew that her mother would not magically appear to keep her from danger.

'I'm on my own now,' She thought, but then she remembered how she had Odd as her best friend. Jeremie was also kind to her, offering multiple times a day to help any one of them with an assignment. She liked how Yumi was just a little colder than the rest, not being straight out mean but reminding the others what respect was. She like how Ulrich, dark and brooding, would always step up to protect his friends, especially Yumi. Aelita was a kind soul, always bright and innocent. She couldn't help but wonder, 'What am I to them?'

Zephyr's pace had been faster than she thought while she was thinking in the gold bathed street, and she was almost directly in front of her house. Gulping when she saw her father's car, she nervously crept through the front door. Only there was no father passed out anywhere. He was towering over her, ice blue eyes glaring, boots clomping on the hardwood floor, jet black locks of hair hanging in front of his cruel, cold, desolate, bloodshot eyes, belt in hand. Zephyr winced at the sight of the whiskey bottle, sitting among its empty brethren on the kitchen table.

"You're late," He growled, tightening his vice grip on the belt.

"You said be home by seven. It's only five right now," Zephyr cowered meekly, knowing full well that even though she was perfectly innocent, she would always be flawed and guilty in his hard eyes.

"Don't you EVER talk back to me," He hissed, slapping her with the belt. Her legs begged to turn and sprint and trick her attacker just as she cockily had with Theo. But this enemy was too great, had instilled an impression of power and domination, and a feeling of fear. She smelled it on herself. She felt sick and her face burned.

"You're a useless _dog_," He was right in her face, whispering to her in a menacing tone, "It's _your _fault that your mother's dead." Zephyr's anger overpowered her.

"No, it's _your _fault! Don't try that guilt stuff with me." Even now she remembered, remembered the reason that they had left America…

_Zephyr was almost 10 years old. She could see she mother finally fighting back. The familiar smell of whiskey burned in her nostrils. Her father had a gun, and he was drunk, wrestling with her mother. She gulped as she watched, secluded from the pair. Her beautiful mother was struggling still as her father had her in a choke hold. The next thing she heard was the metal gun barrel as it shook, forced its way into her mouth, clacking against her teeth. _

_"You used to love me. I used to love you." Her mother was crying, not sobbing. Silent tears rivered down her face as her father's finger was stressed against the trigger. He pulled it. Blood splattered Zephyr's face before she turned and fled outside her rural Montana home, not looking back to see what her father was doing with the corpse, the gun, and his blood stained clothing. _

Jack had her up against the wall now, and hot salty tears coursing down her face, she was trembling all over, the happy day she had just had was forgotten. He was still degrading her.

"You're worthless, you piece of garbage! That's all you are and it's all you'll ever be!" He screamed.

"I'm Zephyr! My name is Zephyr! Why won't you call me Zephyr?" She asked. She wanted nothing to with him, she just wanted his recognition of her as a person. He spat on her face as he continued hitting her. He hit her with the belt, his hands, mercilessly until he needed more alcohol. She trembled as he drank, went to the couch in silence, and passed out. She stayed there, shuddering as she breathed.

Today he'd assaulted her face, shoulders, and ribcage. She was bruised and bleeding, if only slightly. She crept upstairs, collapsing on her bed and falling into a troubled sleep that was marbled with nightmares and flashbacks.

"They can't know. No one can know," She reminded herself when she thought about her friends at school. She only hoped that the battle there would be easier than the one here.


	4. Drop it like it's Hot

Chapter 4: Drop it like it's Hot

Zephyr would be the first person to tell you that she did not want to go to school the next morning, and the last to tell you why. Her right cheekbone was bruised, as was her forehead. It hurt to laugh or breath deeply. But beyond the physical pain was the fear. She had at first literally spooked at her own shadow, and now was extremely wary of anything that moved.

It was going to be a rough day.

As she arrived on campus Zephyr, out of pure habit, began scanning the somewhat crowded courtyard for her friends. She brightened up when she saw them, clustered around their favorite bench. Jeremie, as usual, was sitting on the bench, laptop in place and being used, Aelita looking on to the screen with him. Ulrich was seated on the ground cross-legged and Yumi was still standing, leaning on the bench. Odd was seated on the back of the bench, feet on the seat of the bench next to where Jeremie was stationed.

"Hi, guys," She said, trying not to let her voice sound downtrodden. They looked up and smiled, giving their greetings, but Odd did a double take and studied her face closely as she took a seat next to him. She tried her best to act normal and happy, but it's very hard to accomplish something when your heart's just not in it. Zephyr looked at Odd and smiled. "Yes?"

"What the heck happened to you? Did you get run over by a truck on your way over here or something?" Odd gingerly touched her cheek bruise and she drew back, amazingly keeping her balance.

"No…I…I ran into a door! Yeah, ran into a door!" She had scrambled for an excuse, and now she was kicking herself as even Jeremie raised an eyebrow and looked at her with his skeptical hazel eyes.

"Ran into…a door." He repeated slowly. "How did you manage that, exactly?"

"Well…uh…you see…well…" Zephyr racked her brain for an excuse, and finding none, she, like any cornered animal, looked for a distraction, even though it was rather pitiful. "Aelita, did you get a haircut?" The pink haired girl's eyebrows scrunched up over her cloudy green eyes as she shook her head slightly at her friend.

"Last week I got a haircut. You can't even notice it now." She informed, studying Zephyr's pale eyes once more. But this time they were devoid of any tell-tale emotion, any feeling at all. Odd caught a flicker of something her thought to be pain or fear or panic, but the whole group could've seen this if the red head had no eyes at all.

"Just drop it," Zephyr grumbled, lowering her eyes like she wanted the subject to be lowered.

"Like it's hot?" Ulrich joked meekly from the ground. The whole group collectively stared at him in silence, Jeremie once again raising his blonde eyebrow. Zephyr mentally thanked Ulrich, who was now grinning like a fool.

"Ulrich…" Yumi put a hand on his green sleeved shoulder, "Just…no…never again."

"Never _ever _again," emphasized Jeremie, going back to his laptop. Odd refocused his attention on Zephyr, refusing to let the subject be forgotten.

"So what _really _happ-" He began, interrupted by the bell. His friend all too eagerly jumped off the bench, throwing over her shoulder,

"I said drop it." She sounded rather intent on them leaving her alone about it, but Odd still was curious, as he often was. And a person will remain curious until they are educated. It's human nature to want to learn because knowledge is power. As she walked briskly, nonchalantly ahead to class, Odd felt a pang of sorrow when he caught a glimpse of her in obvious pain. Then it finally dawned on the twelve-year-old.

His friend needed help.

He didn't exactly know what kind of help she needed, but he _did _know that no matter what pain someone suffered from, their wounds, physical or mental, could not be truly healed without help. Help and time. What he decided to give her right now was time.

What Odd _didn't _know was that sometimes, time can, instead of healing wounds, keep re-opening them over and over and over, infecting them.

Sometimes instead of healing, time makes pain worse.


	5. Wishing Stars

Chapter 5: Wishing Stars

The sun was finishing its moment of glory, seemingly burning down to darkness in its own sunset. Twilight was slowly creeping over France, and the five friends were lying on their backs, waiting.

The gang was enjoying one of their favorite pastimes of stargazing. It was a nice stress reliever, and a chance for them all to be together, for just a little while longer. Odd had not by a shot in the dark forgotten that morning, and at lunch had, in a sense, cornered his friend on the roof. At first it was an attempt to make her spill her guts about what was happening, but as the conversation went on, he decided that the purpose should be to keep his friend from whatever was happening.

_He had an instinctive feeling that she would've skipped lunch after the awkward exchange of words that had taken place that morning. After checking around the courtyard and thoroughly scanned the lunchroom once more, he determined that the only place that she could be was the roof. _

_"Hey," She greeted dully when he shut the door behind him. She was leaning on the ledge of the building, chin propped up her elbow thoughtfully. She sighed. _

_"About this whole…thing…" Odd began, coming and leaning beside her, though not in the same position. _

_"Before you even ask, I'm going to tell you that you can't know." She cut him off, still staring into the distance. _

_"I can't know what? Can't know why my friend has bruises all over her face and is acting like some…some…depressed person? What can't I know? Why can't I know? I only want to help you." He finished his mini-outburst, disgustedly turning his head from her. Or was he more disgusted at himself? _

_"You simply can't know anything more than that it is not happening here. It isn't Theo, it isn't any upper classman, it isn't the track teams. It's far, far away from here. So far that no one but me can hope to venture there." She said this without moving to gain his appeal; she simply stated it as a fact. Zephyr knew that she had impulsively described the distance of the place because her home life was a whole different world from the paradise Kadic had become. _

_Odd glanced at the rooftops she had pointed out the previous day, then back to her, then back to the rooftops, then back to her. "It's at home, isn't it?" He deducted. Had the situation not been so serious he would have smiled with accomplishment. But his companion simply looked at him with dull, untelling eyes. _

_"No." She'd said simply, keeping such a steady gaze that Odd gulped and looked at the skyline. A few moments of silence passed before the blond decided to break the silence by changing the subject. _

_"We're all going to be star gazing tonight. Are you coming?" He asked, a phantom smile on his lips. Zephyr looked at him, gratitude in her eyes and a matching smile on her face. _

_"Yeah. I'd like that." _

"Hey Ulrich, you see any?" Odd asked as the last of the light disappeared from the sky.

"Not yet." Ulrich replied. A few minutes passed before Yumi pointed,

"There's one!"

"And another!" Jeremie exclaimed excitedly as the longer they looked the more the stars showed themselves, flickering amongst the glow of a crescent moon. Soon the dusty Milky Way came into view and the blanket of black night had thousands, millions of pinprick holes in it.

"Hey Odd?" Zephyr asked.

"Hmm?" He replied absent mindedly, his mind obviously on something else.

"Do you think wishing stars really work?"

"Why sure they do! Everyone knows that wishing stars work!" He fairly shouted while his friend had merely whispered.

"Thanks for that, Peter Pan," Aelita rolled her dusty eyes, ignoring Odd's stuck out tongue.

As a few minutes passed, each member of the circle of friends was left to their own world and thoughts.

Zephyr had fallen into a light sleep, hands clasped behind her head. Odd, forgetting how close she was to him, spread his arms out and, completely by accident, one of them just happened to collide, almost softly, with Zephyr's ribcage.

She woke up, pale eyes wide with pain, quickly sitting up, grasping her side with one arm, biting the knuckle of her free hand to keep from screaming. Odd sat up beside her, hands on her shoulders.

"Oh, God, Zeph, your side too?" His friend slowly recovered and Odd gently turned her face towards him. "Zephyr…please…tell me. Tell me. Please, please tell me. What in the world is going on?" He begged. She pulled away, stood up, ignoring the stares of her friends.

"I have to go," She offered, starting to leave. Odd reached for her hand but she was already down, going back down the hill, leaving ten eyes to watch her go.

--------------------------------------

Zephyr entered her house that night, relieved that Jack, her father, but not her dad, had already fallen into an alcohol-induced stupor on the couch. She doctored her wounds, cheering inside when she noticed her bruises were going away, but still riddled with guilt because her day had been a lie. She'd put a smile on her face when in reality she was dying inside. She'd told her friends she was fine when really nothing could be farther from the truth. The teenager leaned on her bathroom sink, scolding her reflection.

"You should've told them! They're not going to hurt you!" But her voice of reason reared its head, making an excellent point in the argument.

"But then they would've told the principal, or the counselors, and they would send you away to live with strangers. You'd lose the only friends you have!" Zephyr returned to her small, sparsely furnished room to ponder this. For a twelve year old's brain, or for anyone's brain, this was an aggravating decision, especially when one is so very, very traumatized and so very, very broken inside.

It is common knowledge that stress and guilt can do a lot to a person physically, mentally, and emotionally. Because her heart was cracked and fractured from the lies and beatings, from being reminded that she was worthless, that she was a waste of flesh and blood, her minimal amount of homework took an hour when it should take only half an hour. It exhausted her, concentrating. After she had finished her assignments she locked her bedroom door and windows so there would be no bruises the next day, and curled up in a defensive ball on her bed alone in the depthless darkness, trying to convince herself that it was a phase her father was going through and it would solve itself. The girl attempted to justify her lies, that this was one of those rare exceptions to the rule.

Yet no matter how hard she tried to tell herself that her actions were perfectly normal and perfectly okay for the situation, she really knew that she was hurting herself. However, she also knew that if she told her friends, they could get hurt as well.


	6. Tormented Soul

Chapter 6: Tormented Soul 

Odd watched his friend descend the hill, a yearning to understand clawing his insides. The rest of his friends had their eyes closed, and Yumi, who was somewhat of a big sister figure to the gang, cracked open a slanted ebony Japanese eye.

"Oh, quit staring at her like some lovesick dog and go after her." She said, a little agitated at her friend's behavior. He stood up, brushing the dead grass off of himself. Before sprinting sown the hill, he shot back,

"At least I'm not lovesick over Ulrich!" It was a common joke, even at their young age. The same held true with Jeremie and Aelita, and a very, very small amount for Odd and Zephyr. Odd was running was fast as he could, deviously planning a "glomp attack" until he realized how much that would hurt his would-be victim, especially on the cement. So, he chose the more docile approach of just running up behind her and throwing his arms around her. She let out a small "yeep" when it first happened.

"Odd, what exactly are you doing?" She asked, ducking playfully out of his grasp. She continued her forward walk as Odd fell into step beside her. He smiled and tousled her hair.

"Lookin' out for a friend. I don't know how or why you're being hurt, but I'm going to do everything in my power to stop it." Zephyr bit her bottom lip and studied the sidewalk intensely. They passed under a streetlight in uncomfortable silence, breath freezing in the air, the cold knifepoint stars winking down at them. Zephyr felt an extreme pang of guilt weigh in on her chest. Here he was, accompanying her to her abuse; while he thought he was protecting her from it.

"Odd?" She asked, looking at him, sorrow glazing her eyes. "How long do you plan on walking me home?"

"Until you stop getting beaten up." He replied seriously, then, slipping back to his normal self, "Or until I find the opportunity to play a really, really good prank on you, thus causing your ultimate demise." He grinned devilishly.

"Odd Della Robbia," She warned, narrowing her eyes at him playfully, "You try _anything _and I'll-"

"You'll what?" He provoked, pushing her so that it knocked her off balance. Amazingly, he pushed the part of her arm that wasn't bruised.

"Okay, that's it!" she yelled at him, playfully chasing after him as he fled wildly away from the pale watchful eye of the streetlight. In and out of the streetlamps' light, jumping, running, fleeing, chasing. Playing. Unwittingly they stopped in front of Zephyr's house, still running in circles. They'd forgotten why they'd started running, and who was chasing who and who had already caught who. Their breath come cold and ragged as they rested, sitting on the sidewalk.

"This is your house?" Odd asked when he'd caught his breath. Zephyr nodded, looking everywhere but at the house. Odd looked quickly and thought he saw a worn curtain shift, but he dismissed it, not wanting to be rude. "Well, until tomorrow, then?" He said, reluctant to say good-bye.

"…I guess." Zephyr was also hesitant, wanting nothing more than to follow Odd back to school, or better yet to keep chasing him as they dodged the circles of light, the artificial light that was not the moon.

"Well…Bye then," He said quietly, turning to walk down the street, back to Kadic. Zephyr suddenly got the same idea Odd had, and rushed him, pouncing, or "glomping" him. Her speed had given her force and she managed to knock him to the ground, his breath knocked out of his lungs.

"Hey! Get off me, you fiend!" He laughed uncontrollably, rolling over on his back when she let him up. She sat next to him while he still lay down, propping his skinny frame up on his elbows.

"Sorry," She smirked, "Couldn't resist." He smiled and, though the impulse startled him, held back the urge to brush a stray lock of crimson hair behind her ear. "I believe that is what some call 'retaliation'?" She grinned as he finally got up when she stood.

"I believe that you owe me an apology," He feigned disdain as he folded his arms across his slightly aching chest.

"Sorry," She hugged him lightly, pulling away before he could return the action. "Thanks. For walking me home, I mean."

"No problem," He smiled, gave a quick, choppy wave, and started back down the street, hands in his pockets, whistling softly. Left alone as he turned a corner, Zephyr sighed as she looked at the house, towering over her now like her father most likely would in a few moments. Swallowing the fear that was ironically climbing bravely up her throat, Zephyr entered the house.

------------------------------------------------

"Hey, dog, why are you so late?" Her father said in mocking tones, smiling sickly, as if he had vital information with which he could break her.

"I stayed after. With my friends." She stated the complete truth.

"Oh?" Jack smiled again, taking a step toward her, eyes the color of ice glaring into her, laced with hate. "Are your'friends' all boys like the one you were shamelessly flirting with on the sidewalk?" His whiskey-breath wafted to sting her nostrils, singe her eyes, her knees locked and she began to quiver.

"I--I wasn't flirting with him. He's just a friend." He snorted. She took a step back.

"I'm amazed you even _have _friends. Look at yourself, you worthless waste of blood and flesh." His voice made her "worthless" blood curdle, and she backed up into the open coat closet, sitting down against the supportive edge, shaking too bad to stand. "Who do you think you are, huh?" He leaned over her. "I never gave you permission to be a burden on someone else's life, did I?"

"No, b-but it just kind of-" The almost-teen caught herself. Why was she apologizing to him, her tormentor? It wasn't like it'd make a difference anyway. Her rage was stopped when she discovered that she could escape between Jack's leg and the doorframe. She took the risk

And she was sorry she did. Jack caught her by the hood of her sweatshirt, then held her against the wall, at his height. Her feet were about three feet from the ground. She was numb with purebred fear scampering rampant throughout her veins. He slapped her.

"Don't you run away from me!" He screamed, punching her in the stomach. He grabbed the whiskey bottle he'd set down to grab her and hit her face with that, causing even more shock. Her legs were shaking so clearly that it looked like she was purposely moving them. The bottle shattered, green glass spraying onto the floor. He brought her away from the wall, holding her at arm's length in mid-air. She was utterly at his mercy, something that never showed in his bloodshot eyes. He then slammed her against the wall, once, twice, three times.

The pains shot through her like missiles launched from her spine, wrenching a scream from her body. It was more like a roar as she gritted her teeth but the sound fled through them, bringing satisfaction to her father's eyes. He picked her up again, flinging her to floor. She skidded on the hardwood, and then stopped, breathing heavily.

"If you ever," He almost lost his balance, "Ever tell any of those…those…_friends _then I'll deal with them myself. Who's more dominant?"

"You," She seethed through still gritted teeth, sitting halfway up, drops of whiskey and shards of glass on her face. The alcohol burned when it entered the small cuts that slashed through her face.

"Good." He spit in her eye, the warm saliva dripping down her face, and he walked away, to once again pass out on the couch. She was left there right inside the front door, panting, gazing up at the ceiling.

"I guess I owe you an apology. I guess I owe all of you an apology."

And she was left with her pain, her guilt, and her fear.

Most of all, Zephyr was left with her heavy breathing in the darkness.


	7. Apologies

Chapter 7: Apology 

Zephyr buried her head in her hands as soon as she had gotten to school. Her stomach lurched with each step. Preparing for school had simply been a change of clothes and washing the alcohol, blood, and glass off of her face. Depression set in when she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes had surprised her; sadness and guilt were all that she saw in the pale orbs. She began to look gaunt, and the marks on her face just dragged her self assessment to an even lower level. What hurt most of all were not the blows her father bestowed upon her or the fact that he was hitting her, but instead the order that she was not to tell a soul. Ever. All she wanted was a confidante, yet the ones she had were in danger if she breathed a word to them. She knew that it was going to take a pinch of time and a ton of courage to get her through this.

"Hey Zephyr, what's wrong?" She heard Aelita's voice but bit her tongue. She could feel them, surrounding her. Zephyr didn't trust herself to answer; knowing that she couldn't bring herself to tell another lie.

"Is she asleep?" Ulrich asked, and she felt his face closer to hers. She wasn't surprised that Odd chose to remain silent.

"No, probably just-" Jeremie's reply was cut off when Zephyr raised her head to look at them, and she looked so downtrodden that Aelita gasped at her sad eyes peering up at them from her seat on the back of the bench. She was really beginning to hate that bench.

"C'mon guys. Just…leave her alone." The Odd-like, quiet defense was surprisingly uttered by Yumi, who herded the other three off. Zephyr realized that Odd wasn't among them, which easily explained his silence. As soon as they were gone she headed in the opposite direction, towards where she knew he was.

It was Odd's turn to stare out into the distance and sigh as Zephyr came to stand beside him on the roof.

"Odd-" She started off quietly, but Odd anticipated her and answered her question. At least, he answered what he thought she was going to ask.

"I wasn't there with the others because I saw you come with your face all cut up." He replied, almost disinterestedly.

"I was going to-" She continue, but he turned to her with an angry fire in his eyes that was somewhat akin to that in Jack's eyes. This fire she saw now made her shrink back, but her friend didn't seem to notice. Or was it that he didn't care?

"What? What are you going to do? I've done everything in my power to help you and then you get beat up again and won't tell me why! What am I supposed to do? What power am I going to do unless you tell me? I have nothing without knowing what's happening to you." His voice was painted with frustration and something related to resentment. The blond waited for her to explain, watching her with an angry helplessness as she stared at her feet. For a few moments it was just them on the rooftop, the wind letting the rift that had grown between them become something almost tangible. Odd stood there, hand halfway through his golden hair, she looking quite ashamed and embarrassed.

"Well?" His anger had subsided but it still tinged his impatient question. The boy felt his heart splinter as his slightly harsh words made the girl visually reel, and something in her eyes flashed and died like a falling star. Had he not been blinded by frustration he might've seen that same spark of anger.

"Odd," She sighed, gathering up all her courage, "I can't tell you because it'd only make things worse. Much, much worse. Worse for Yumi, Jeremie, Aelita, Ulrich, me, and you. That's why I can't tell you. I wanted to tell you but…I'd rather leave you ignorant than hurt."

"But I could tell the principal, or Ms. Hertz, or Nurse Dorothy. They'd help you. Whatever this is you can't go through it alone," Odd pleaded with her. Without even thinking about it he grasped her hands in his. "C'mon, Zeph. We're best friends. You know you can tell me."

Emotions had overcome Zephyr and she was keeping tears and bay vigilantly. Odd could almost feel that she was going to tell him everything. He was a little fearful that she would break down, but the urge was stronger to know the source of those bruises and that pain she so carefully tried to shelter and guard, only to have it be grown and nurtured, feeding on her.

"I'm sorry." She said so quietly it was almost inaudible. She rushed passed him and down the stairs, never once looking back. Odd stayed, arm still uselessly extended, reaching after her. All he could hear was her shoes falling on the concrete stairs as she fled. She was running away from him, it seemed, and he mentally slapped himself for being too overbearing.

_"I am so very, very sorry."_

Yeah, it was short. I might be able to get one more chapter in before the big upgrade. If not, then I'll update ASAP.


	8. September

This will most likely be the last chapter before the upgrade, though there may be one more.

Thank you all very much for the reviews! There may be other OddxZephyr stories to come should I think of them, maybe a sequel or a one-shot epilogue to this one. Sports the award with immense pride

Okay, one last thing before chapter 8. I've decided that since I have lots of free time on my hands that I will be taking story requests on a first come, first serve basis. Requests will be taken until **January 4th. **After that I will continue to work on requests but no new ones will be taken until I finish the current ones. Ask by leaving a review on here and tell me what categories, rating, characters, what age the characters are, basic plot, etc.(title not necessary) I will NOT do a "LOTR" or "Harry Potter" requests (I have no interest in them). No rating above T, possibly M (depends on why). If you want to use **Zephyr **or **Jack **in one of your own fics, please ask me in a review. You MUST give me credit for their characters at least in an author's note at the beginning of the chapter in which they are introduced.

Any what, loyal readers, without further delay:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8: September 

Zephyr was fourteen now, and the last two years had been a living Hell. She'd maintained a friendship with Ulrich, Yumi, Aelita, and Jeremie, but things between her and Odd would seemingly never be the same.

Yumi, Zephyr, and Aelita had grown from girls to women. Their hips had widened, they'd hit a growth spurt, and they'd begun to experience heavier onslaughts of intense emotions. Aelita found herself harboring romantic feelings for Jeremie, and Yumi was experiencing a rather oversized crush on Ulrich. Zephyr was holding back similar feelings for Odd, though it drove her insane that she wasn't able to express them and have the feelings returned like Aelita and Yumi were.

Ulrich, Odd, and even Jeremie were maturing. Their voices were deepening. Ulrich's was the most bass, while Odd's was to remain a tenor. Jeremie would be somewhere between the two, though for the time being his voice was going through a horrible, more severe than most, squeaky stage. Jeremie and Ulrich gladly returned Aelita's and Yumi's feelings. Odd had the same problem with Zephyr; he wasn't able to express his feelings verbally, though he yearned to. The boys hit their growth spurts in time, naturally theirs came later than those of the girls. They were just a little taller than their female counterparts.

However, despite the emotions rocketing around inside their bodies the six teens stayed close friends. One late September night they decided to go stargazing once again. It had remained high on their exclusive list of favorite activities. So there they were, enjoying one of the last light-jacket days of the year. Jeremie and Aelita were lying off by themselves and the same held true for Ulrich and Yumi, leaving Odd and Zephyr in a similar position. They lay beside each other, sighing once in a while, each wishing the same thing.

_'I wish this would end.' _

"Odd," Zephyr's voice had retained its classic husky quality, and had developed more into a wind chime like tone somewhere between soprano and alto, "You were wrong."

"How?" He rolled over on his stomach and looked at her, confused.

"Wishing stars don't work. They never worked." She stared at the stars, eyes so watery that Odd could see the points of light reflect in her gray orbs. Zephyr had one leg bent at the knee, the other straight out. Her view of the stars was blocked by her friend's broad, caring face as he leaned over her. He wasn't straddling her, just leaning over her in a manner that was similar to if they had been standing and at the same height, looking eye to eye.

"You had to come into my life somehow," He whispered, noting how corny it sounded. He had his hands on her wrists, gently and playfully pinning her to the cool September grass. She swallowed. His face was so innocent and gentle.

"Odd…I have to go home." when he didn't move save for decreasing the distance between their faces so that they could feel each other's breath brush their faces with tingling fingers, she panicked, just a little. "Odd, lemme up, this isn't funny!" Sadness tainted his voice.

"Not until you tell me," He whispered. The September moon beams found his face, giving it a ghostly pale blue glow and the September wind sighed softly in their ears.

"Tell you what?" Her voice was soft now too, and this time Odd did not resist the impulse to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The simple action of his fingers brushing against her soft, pale face made her heart pound in her throat. He replied, seeming to her as close as the September grass yet as far away as the September stars. He was as palpable as September tears and as insensible as September moonbeams.

"Tell me why," He breathed, the volume of their voices decreasing until Zephyr feared she wouldn't be able to hear him. "Tell me why you're getting beat up." The teenage girl realized that she was in no position to refuse; if she did he could kiss her, though she didn't believe he would, and that would confuse things further, and she couldn't be that attached to him. So, she finally, after all the years of burdens, gave up.

"I'm getting beat up because I go home everyday," Hear voice was hushed and barely audible; she felt that he could hear her heart beat, "And there's someone waiting for me. He's waiting to hit me. He's waiting right now to scream at me. Right now he's sitting there, swigging away at a bottle of whiskey and getting ready to hit me. As we speak, Odd, someone is waiting to remind me that I'm a worthless animal." She finished, and didn't notice the tears falling into the grass that swayed slightly in the moonlight. Zephyr also didn't notice that there was a hand, barely connecting with her face, brushing away the salty water droplets. She was numb to Odd still holding her bruised wrists and even to his lips brushing softly against her forehead, and to being lifted off the September grass and against her trusted friend.

Odd sat there, holding her protectively in his arms, rocking her back and forth. He was in shock, and that had let the floodgates to his emotions open. Thus, he had brushed his lips against her forehead and then pulled back, just a little, in surprise at himself. Yet he saw her looking up at him, pent up sorrow escaping her in the form of tears that should have been shed long ago.

"You just cry. You just cry it all out, pretty girl," He murmured in her ear. She leaned heavily on him, letting her salty tears of desperation stain his shirt and dribble down his chest.

"Don't let him hit me again," She pleaded, over and over, "Don't let him hit me again."

"Shhh, it's alright. I'm not going to let him hurt you. He can't touch you. Not ever again," He comforted, letting the bridges of his knuckles ran down her face.

After a while her crying subsided and she lay there, exhausted. He was tired, but not nearly enough to lull him into a sleep. Instead he kept holding onto her, lips resting on her dark hair.

"I won't let him hurt you," He promised into her ear, "He's not going to put another mark on you. I swear by it." He couldn't help smiling at his crush's conclusion that wishing stars didn't work. He turned his head skyward, and he whispered to the September sky,

"I wish for her to be okay."


	9. Last Dance

Chapter 9: Last Dance 

"Breath, Zeph. Just take big, deep breaths." Odd whispered as he sat beside her, rubbing her back soothingly. He took in a gulp of night air, inhaling slowly and exhaling at the same speed. His friend was sitting up, taking deep breaths, the cool air catching every so often in her throat.

"I still have to go back there, don't I?" She asked, shuddering as she began a full recovery from her outburst. Though she'd repeatedly apologized for it, Odd brushed it off with great softness and an arm around her shoulders as he'd leaned down to get a better look at her tear stained face.

"Zephyr…She shook her shoulder gently and spoke softly, as if attempting to wake her. That was what he wanted more than anything; to be woken up while the stars still blinked indifferently above her without being hit or kicked or getting opaque green glass thrown clumsily at her.

Even more than that she wanted to wake up and find that her bruises were just a dream. Just a bad dream.

"Zephyr…I told them," He whispered into her ear.

"T-told who?" She asked, remembering her father's promise.

"Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremie, Aelita. And the principal and nurse. They're coming, Zephyr. They're coming to save you." He was still whispering. She liked that he was gentle, but she liked the playful Odd. The hyper Odd, the Odd who seemed to have slowed down. They hadn't played since that streetlamp night, back when they were twelve.

"Odd…"

"Hmmm?" He said nonchalantly, glancing at the stars as his hand moved from being draped around her shoulder to rubbing her back again.

"I think it might be too late to save me."

"No," He shook his head calmly, "You're strong. You'll get through this. And even when you think you're not strong enough you can lean on me."

"I'll be leaning on you a lot then," She whispered, resting against him tiredly even as she said it.

----------------------------------------

Odd stared up complacently at the sky, mirth flickering in his amber orbs. He clearly remembered the night when the police had been called, Zephyr's bruises revealed by Nurse Dorothy, and Jack had been arrested. He could still smell the alcohol. He cools still hear the police sirens whining as they came upon the small house. The neighbors rushed out, covering their mouths with their hands, most in robes. He could still see the police shaking their heads sadly at his friend, whom he'd been very protective of that night. There was that pivotal moment when they'd brought her wall-eyed father out of the house, pushing him along towards the police car. He's turned his bloodshot spheres of pure hate towards Zephyr, and as he spit on her Odd had stood between them, nostrils burning when he smelled the filth of alcohol and meanness. He'd been snarled at by the greasy black haired monster, and he was ready to just about punch the man when Zephyr stepped between them, spitting on Jack as he had spit on her.

For now the principal had allowed Zephyr to board in a spare room, and she was adjusting well to the lifestyle change. She no longer spooked at little things, and she had gained a healthy weight and filled out. Her eyes were no longer hollow and her face was softer and smoother, not as harrowed as it once was. Kadic had worked wonders for her. Granted she woke up screaming from nightmares for a couple nights in a cold sweat and sometimes even vomiting. This phase, however, had soon passed.

Yes, life was starting to piece itself back together, as it always had and always would without fail. He continued to look up at the teeming, indecisive gray sky as it started to rain, very softly, then harder, so hard he knew that the purple gel had disappeared from his longish blond hair. He looked at the edge of the parking lot where Zephyr was standing, without shaking, without looking around nervously. He sucked in his breath. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in the rain.

She spread her arms out, shrugged, and let them return limply to her sides.

"Well," She said conclusively, "They're taking me away." Odd tilted his soaked head.

"What do you mean?" He asked, furrowing his brow at her. She stepped forward until they were only a foot away.

"Exactly what I said. It's my last day here. They're coming to take me to some place in the French speaking part of Belgium. Then I'm going to be in a foster home."

"W-what?" Odd sounded absolutely devastated as his happiness, his world cascaded down around him like the rain. "How long did you know?"

"Principal Delmas told me a couple days after Jack was arrested. I didn't tell you because…"

"Because what?" He asked, turning away mood sinking further.

"Because I didn't want your smile to go away. I didn't want for the last weeks we had to be washed away by dread." Odd turned back to look at her, face full, once again, of unsaid apologies. He flashed a winning toothy grin, much like that of a cat.

"Excuse me, m'lady," He bowed low, "May I have the last dance?" She curtseyed awkwardly in her went cargo pants.

"Yes, kind sir," She almost laughed, "But only because you're so handsome." She stepped forward on the soaked asphalt, letting her arms slip around his neck, feeling his around her waist. The position made both of them blush and avert their eyes.

"May I ask what song we are dancing to?" Zephyr continued the joke.

"The rain," Odd bent down and whispered in her ear, strangely enjoying when she shivered in response. The pair began dancing slowly to the steady beat of the raindrops dieing on the pavement. They sped up to a swinging waltz, hands clasped, as the downpour worsened.

It kept pouring down in buckets. They kept waltzing, smiling at each other, swinging in time. They were absolutely saturated; sheets of water pouring down their faces. They waltzed until they finally allowed their hands to part as they collapsed on the grass bordering the asphalt surface, breathing laboriously. Their clothes hung heavily on them as they allowed the wet grass to cling to them as only wet grass can.

Zephyr found herself feeling his hair with her fingers.

"Your hair's really soft when it's wet and doesn't have that purple crud in it," A soft smile played on her lips as she looked at it. Her hand seemed detached from her body, but she kept fondling his golden hair, wet and darker from the rain.

Odd wound his own fingers in her long, silky red hair, feeling its cool dampness.

"Zephyr?" He whispered, almost fearfully, but still knowing he was taking his only chance. "What would you say if I kissed you right now?"

"Depends on what kind of kiss," She replied quietly.

"What if it was this kind of kiss?" Odd nudged his body closer to hers and placed his lips to hers. It was feather soft and short, but Zephyr felt something click. Something magical in her head that made her even more attached to Odd.

"I would ask you do it again," She breathed. This time it was her lips that were pressed to his, and the kiss was longer and deeper. They still played with each other's hair absent-mindedly. They found themselves French kissing, and finally pulled away, breathing heavily more from wonder and shock than the need for air that the kiss caused.

"We're not natives of France but I think we did pretty good, don't you?" Odd joked, stroking her face.

"I think we did better than pretty good," She whispered with a smile. Their moment was interrupted by car headlights illuminating them as the vehicle parked sharply. A woman, pinched and sharp even in her wrinkles and brown hair pulled into a bun, stepped out of the car. Even though it was raining she wore a business skirt and button up top. The two fourteen year olds flipped themselves over on their stomachs as she walked up to them, heels clicking on the asphalt. Odd couldn't help but receive a bad first impression. He'd been waiting for this moment ever since that impulse in front of Zephyr's house to brush her hair back, ever since that starlit September night when he'd brushed his lips against her soft skin and had held her as only a friend could. But he didn't want to be just a friend. This angled lady had ruined _their_ moment.

"Excuse me," Her voice was high and authorities, feigning friendliness, "Are you," She glanced with dead mahogany eyes at a clipboard she held in her bony hand, "Zephyr Blitz?" She said the name as if it tasted horrible and vulgar, but she swallowed it down as if to be polite.

"Yes." Zephyr said numbly, glancing at Odd. He grasped her hand, weaving his fingers with hers.

"Well my dear, the principal told me I'd find you here. Now let's go. You have a long train ride to Belgium," She smiled, revealing old, yellowed teeth.

Zephyr had no choice but to stand, and she took Odd with her. She brought her clasped hand to her lips and kissed his hand, then hugged his middle tightly, as if she let go the world would come to an incredible crashing halt.

"What about the others?" Odd breathed so the intruding lady couldn't hear.

"I said my good-byes," She breathed back, her warm breath tickling his ear. He looked up as she pulled away, looking up at him, shrinking back also from the lady's dagger grip. He saw them, four shadows in the steadily pounding rain. He pulled his friend into a hug, not a romantic hug but a hug he'd often given her over the years.

"I know you," He said, voice at a normal level, "You're that tough kid. The kid who can make it through Hell." She smiled briefly but the woman's grip dragged her away and into the backseat of the car and shut the door. The woman then wobbled in her heels to the driver's seat and started the engine as Zephyr pressed her fingers against the cold glass, and he did the same, as if their hands were touching. But, just like the glass, fate got in the way.

And the car drove away with Odd's heart in the backseat, away from the childhood Zephyr'd known before she was forced to grow up, away from the place where they'd played and laughed. Away from the place where they'd kissed and danced.

Away from the place where a skinny pale eyed girl ran into a hyper amber eyed boy.

Don't worry…it's not over yet!

Glory


	10. Untitled

Chapter 10:

Zephyr stared out the window of the train, only half enjoying the tingle Odd's lips had left on her own. She was mentally admonishing herself.

"You just had to get attached, didn't you?" She grumbled at herself. It wasn't that she didn't like Odd-it was quite the polar opposite. "Why'd you have to go and kiss him? Why'd you let him kiss you? I hope you're happy." And she was happy, even as the train jittered uneasily towards a new country and a new family.

Several people stared and whispered, but the fourteen year old didn't care. All she wanted was to turn the train around and back towards France.

"Love sucks," She growled. But even as she said it her heart had the most wonderful feeling, fluttering around inside her ribcage. Even after all of the abuse, all of the torture, she knew, as all people in love do,

"Someone _loves _me. They love me for me." And she smiled sadly as the train went from France to Belgium, miles and miles away from where she wanted to be.

------------------------------------------

"Love sucks," Odd told Ulrich as they made their way to the breakfast hall a few mornings after that day in the rain.

"It must be who you're in love with, then, cause I'm in love with Yumi and I feel great," Ulrich smiled subtly.

"It's not the fact that it's her," Odd seethed, fully livid, "It's the fact that I'm never going to see her again," His voice grew sullen and dull.

"Well, there are other girls out there for you, and other boys out there for her. It's life. Life goes on no matter what," The brunette shrugged and continued walking to the cafeteria, but his purple clad friend changed his course, a very rare thing for him to do. He went where he always had when he had a problem. He went to the roof.

Yet, against what he wished most desperately, there was no Zephyr staring out at the distance, chin propped on an elbow. Instead there was just the wind and the rooftops stretching into the distance. There was the sun and the clouds and the blue, blue sky. He looked out at one rooftop in particular, and could almost see her there beside him, pointing at it.

_"As we speak there's someone waiting for me. He's waiting to hit me. To remind me that I am a worthless animal…" _

Her sobbing voice ricocheted around his skull until he thought he would go insane. He turned to walk down to breakfast, finally, and turned to remind the wind and the sun and the blue, blue sky,

"She's better off this way."

---------------------------------------

I know, I know short, but another chapter later.


	11. Fate

Zephyr left the college campus disgustedly. How dare they?

"Stupid interviews," She muttered, not looking back at the horrible place. Here Belgium's top college had asked for an interview when they'd seen her application. They basically had asked for her life story. The interviewer seemed fascinated for a little while until she had suddenly interrupted, offered a poor excuse as to why her personality wouldn't fit with the school, and had dismissed her.

"He's in jail and still ruining my life," Zephyr grumbled, kicking a rock. She was nineteen now and absolutely beautiful. She still had the same color eyes and hair, but she was a little taller, though still a little smaller than most. The teen decided to take a walk; it wasn't as if anyone was wondering where she was.

Her foster family hadn't been exactly a dream. They'd refused to let her visit Odd or her other friends. They hadn't let her compete in track or any other sports. They were so protective that they were glad that each day passed without her bringing home a friend, especially a boy. When she _did _bring someone home, girl or boy, they were sent away and Zephyr was reminded that she was better not be a burden to them because they were so kind to take her in. She had a couple "siblings" who were the biological children of the parents, and they were just as obscure. They taunted her constantly throughout her life, and since she was the oldest, she was often responsible for the kids. She'd never hit them, of course, but if she showed the slightest bit of power or authority she was in trouble. They'd hit her, too, though it was rare. Zephyr couldn't begin to imagine how they got through the foster screening process.

Over the course of time Zephyr had become resistant, antisocial, and distant. She wasn't doing anything bad or illegal, but she had no respect for her Belgian "parents." To others at a glance she seemed like the quiet type, the kind that should be smoking pot and writing horrible poetry. But Zephyr never smoked, never wrote. Often she'd stayed out stargazing, pretending Odd was there.

"See?" She'd told his shadow she thought she'd seen, "Told you wishing stars don't work."

-----------------------------------------------

Odd gathered up his textbooks and left the university physics room, sighing.

The blond, even by his own his standards, was hot. He'd dated, but had never felt that click he'd felt with Zephyr. His family in Italy could do nothing but watch as he locked himself within his schoolwork and had become extremely quiet and sullen. His heart had been ripped to shreds by the sharp fingernails of preppy sluts who had clung to him like leeches, then when he refused them sex or a kiss or his tongue slipped and he mentioned a certain red head from the edges of his childhood had dumped him.

They were both alone and exhausted, each waiting for the other.

-------------------------------------

"I hope I live through this," Zephyr muttered, stepping off the train, small suitcase in hand. She was back in France, where she'd been hurt, but more importantly healed, and she was coming here by the slim chance that she might be healed once again.

She knew in reality that he was probably married or seriously dating. She also hoped that she wasn't forgotten by him, but also hoped she was. It was…very complicated, as emotions often are. She didn't want him to feel pain if she showed up. The red head shook her head, red locks spilling about her shoulders. She'd let it grow and it was about mid back length now. She made her way to her apartment on foot, brushing off the strange glances that were given to her.

Odd Della Robbia locked his apartment door, tossing the key in the air and catching it in mid descent. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, casually going ona blind date. He found that most dates were failures because he always compared the girls to Zephyr . The amber eyed boy had no idea why he couldn't just let go. He shrugged and made his way down the stairs; there was no elevator. As he trotted down the six flights of stairs, jumping the last couple, he noticed a girl, dark, dark red hair, almost like dried blood obscuring her face from his view. She was carrying a suitcase. The nineteen year old felt some strike of recognition, and he dropped his keys, only half by accident. As he bent to pick them up the girl turned her face away, still carrying the small suitcase up the stairs from where he'd come. The blond couldn't help but watch as she stopped climbing the stairs as she reached the sixth floor. Though he tried not to think anything of it, he knew he wanted to see her face, see her eyes, just so he could know that her face wasn't scarred and her eyes weren't the color of the palest gray September sky.

----------------------------------

Her apartment was small but she liked it that way; big spaces made her uncomfortable. The furniture, old and worn, had come with the flat, and she liked the broken in feel of it. Zephyr decided to take a look around after she'd unpacked and thoroughly gotten to know where and what everything in the apartment was, whether it had roaches or other pests(thankfully it didn't), and other numerous things. It was dark outside when she decided to roam the building and find out where the laundry room was and where rent was paid, but mostly to check out the neighbors, see if any of her old classmates were around. She thought back to when she'd been lugging her suitcase upstairs and some guy whose face she hadn't seen had dropped his keys "on accident."

"They're all the same," She told herself bitterly, heading once again down the stairs.

-----------------------------

Odd was tired. After a night consisting of another failed date. Joy. Odd scoffed as he remembered the girl. She had to have only been fifteen years old.

"Figures," He snorted quietly, "It was Ulrich's idea." The brunette has set his friend up with many high schoolers, but never a slut like this one, on blind dates. When he saw her Odd half wished he _was _blind.

Her name was something exotic and fake, "Adelita" he thought, though he wasn't sure. All he knew was that it was close to "Aelita." Her outfit was garish and almost vomit inducing. Her skirt was extremely short and her top was extremely low cut. She'd lit a cigarette and ordered alcohol at dinner. He'd almost left right there. After what that stuff had contributed to Zephyr's life he wanted to ban it from France. The Germans could have their heavy draft beer, the Irish their strong, smooth whiskey, and the Italians their sophisticated wines. He felt that strongly and he was Italian himself. Anway, he couldn't see how she'd been able to order it when she was already acting stupid. Her long blonde hair had painful evidence that it was dyed, and her skin was the result of several hours logged in tanning beds. Her eyes were a flat blue and a little too readable, though they showed no emotion other than lust. Odd had actually felt sorry for her, her life being derailed so young. According to her she'd picked up smoking and drinking from her mother, who'd started after her father had died because of a stray bullet.

He felt badly for her until she climbed into his lap and tried to seduce him.

"Man, she laid it on thick," Odd recounted. It was the truth. The girl had even licked his face. She'd raked her fingers through his gelled hair and that had been the final straw. He couldn't stand anyone combing through his hair. That and he'd smelled the alcohol on her breath, and it was as clear as the night he'd smelled it when they'd cleared Jack out of the house.

"I'm glad that bastard is locked up forever," He murmured, making sure he had no smoke or alcohol smell on himself.

The girl had revealed right before they had parted that she was planning to run away and become a prostitute. Odd had tried to convince her to stay because he mother surely needed her, but she'd refused to listen and had stalked, wobbling on her high heels, into the depths of her seedy neighborhood. Odd had turned, silently shaking his head, and left.

"I'm through with this," He'd surrendered to Ulrich on the phone in a depressed voice after he'd given a detailed summary of the night's events.

"You didn't give her a fair chance," Ulrich had argued.

"She _licked _my _face_," Odd emphasized, refusing to allow further dispute. He hung up his phone and entered his apartment building, making his way tiredly up the stairs.

---------------------------------------

She just _had _to run; she couldn't resist it. Her Belgian guardians hadn't let her really cut loose and run in years. She, in preparation, tied her shoes and gently tested them, assuring herself of their stability. Then she braced herself at the end of the hall, propelling herself off of the navy, ancient carpet. Even after five years of hardly any practice she slipped right back into the technique of it, shooting down the long hallway, feet barely touching the ground. She leaned forward, increasing her great speed. She knew she'd never make it to the stairs but she just kept going. Her heart pounded, blood gushing through her brains. She didn't talk to herself now, didn't even think. It was concentration, reacting to the environment.

As it turns out she did make it to the end of the stairs after all. She tried to stop but her brakes didn't quite work. She skidded, and as a reaction to her almost doing a faceplant into the stairs prepared to spring up with her feet as soon as the prime opportunity came along.

------------------------------------

Odd walked up the stairs nonchalantly, humming to himself along with "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. He'd heard it in the restaurant and had it stuk in his head. He was almost to the top of the stairs when he saw a blur barreling down the hall towards the stairs.

"She's not going to be able to stop in time," He whispered. He didn't stop to ponder why he'd automatically labeled it female, because he was too busy rushing forward to catch it in his arms.

-------------------------------------

Ooooo cliffy!

About Odd's date ordering alcohol at 15...they do that kind of stuff. If you act mature, you can order alcohol. French kids are usually raised with a better understanding of it than Americans.


	12. You're Beautiful

Chapter 12: You're Beautiful 

Zephyr had closed her eyes, preparing for her face to slam into the stairs. She was planning for a broken nose, ready for gushing blood and walking to the nearest hospital. Then the strangest thing happened. A guy caught her. She knew it was a guy because his arms felt like a guy's would, and he said,

"Woah, hotshot," In a smooth tenor voice. There was something else. The way she was pressed against him felt like something from long ago. But that had involved tearstains while this event only called for severe blushing.

And an apology.

That was also a profound moment of her childhood. An apology. She looked up, trying to free herself of his firm grasp. She looked up and came face to face with a pair of amber eyes.

Zephyr recognized the messy blond and purple hair, and took a note that the t-shirt she was pressed against was also purple. His skin was a little tan, and his face was broad and kind. He was grinning like a fool. The boy was about a head taller than her and tilted his head as he studied her in amazement.

-------------------------------------

He felt a jolt run through him when he noticed that they way he was holding her felt exactly like that night in September. He saw her eyes boring into him, those pale, pale, strong eyes. Her face was sprinkled lightly with freckles and her hair, a red so deep it was almost black, was long and straight. She was pale and a head shorter than him.

_I saw an angel _

_Of this I'm sure _

The two froze like that, in an embrace that seemed never to begin and never to end. They were both breathless, especially Zephyr, but words would've ruined the moment anyway. Fifteen, twenty minutes must've passed before either stopped breathing heavily, and still they remained silent until a girl passed them, maybe at the age of thirty or so.

"Get a room!" Her laugh was strangled by cigarette smoke.

"Odd…?"

_You're beautiful.  
You're beautiful _

Yes, there was something very odd about this situation. Yet there was also something magical, something beautiful, and something sacred.

"Zeph…yr." He stated simply, adding the last part of her name in case it wasn't really her, then holding her at arm's length, looking her up and down. She did the same. Things had changed, but remained primarily the same.

_You're beautiful, it's true._

"You're handsome," She said, smiling at him, not letting go of his arms. She didn't want this to be a dream.

"You're beautiful," He said sheepishly, blushing and turning away.

_…we shared a moment that will last till the end…_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------_

A couple lines from James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" in there. Happy New Year's!


	13. Coffee Shop

Chapter 13: Coffee Shop 

They ignored the stares they received from various people as they entered the small coffee shop on the corner, each ordering a small black take out cup. They were getting strange looks, the two of them, because they didn't look like the other college students at the poetry reading that was taking place that night. Their hair wasn't dyed black and neither were their clothes. They wore no leather or make up, and they didn't have scraps of paper to look through or a cigarette to hang loosely from their mouths, or a beret the place sloppily on their greasy dyed heads. They looked flushed and elated as they walked out, leaving the depressed performers with scarred wrists and marijuana eyes with their pauses in strange places in the speech of their equally depressed and depressing poetry.

"So," Zephyr, said, leaning against the brick wall on the side of the coffee shop, watching cars and people walk busily by. Odd swallowed his coffee. It seemed very strong and bitter, but that's they way he liked it, "What've you been up to for the last five years?"

"Well, I managed to graduate from Kadic and went directly to Lyon University. That's where I'm going now but I just finished my freshman classes. Ulrich's been getting on my nerves about dating."

"Really?" Zephyr raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Earlier today he set me up on a blind date with a fifteen year old."

"How'd it go."

"She licked my face while trying to seduce me," He grumbled.

"Did it work?" Odd stared at her as she smiled impishly. He narrowed his eyes playfully, kicking her shin lightly with his foot."

"Of course not."

"It didn't turn you on the slightest bit?" Her teasing went on, and Odd was beginning to regret telling her.

"Shut up."

"I think there's only one way to find out." And she put her hand on his shoulder, licking the side of his face.

"Ewwww!" Odd shouted, scrubbing the slobber off his cheek with her sleeve.

"Hey, it wasn't exactly pleasant for me, either. Normal people aren't supposed to taste like coffee."

"How do you know what normal people taste like?" Odd asked, turning the tables on her.

"You just taste weird. Not bad, just weird." She shrugged. He leaned over and licked her face. It was almost like watching two little kids.

"That was gross. I did NOT slobber that much on you," She protested, rubbing the drool off of her face and onto the short sleeve of his t-shirt. It was Odd's turn to shrug.

"Well, it's not like I'm not glad I have this coffee to wash it down with," He held up his styrofoam cup and took a sip to prove his point, "You taste weird, too."

"Well, it's not like we ever were normal."

"Yeah. We were quite a pair back in school, weren't we?" Odd said nostalgically.

"We sure were…are. Look at us!" She laughed, "Here we are licking each other's faces over cups of black coffee!" He laughter faded and she cleared her throat, changing the subject abruptly.

"So, how're the others?" She asked, taking a drink out of her cup.

Odd shrugged. "Jeremie and Aelita graduated a year ahead of Yumi, with honors, of course. They're going to some high rated college in Canada. Yumi also graduated with honors and went back to Japan. It pretty much broke Ulrich's heart when she left, even though they're still in a long-distance relationship. He dropped out his senior year and started his journey to 'find himself.' Yumi wasn't too happy with that so he went back to school, graduated, and now is going to some community college in Germany. After he left Kadic he went to live with his parents in Berlin, and that's where he graduated and is now."

"Wow. Things sure have changed," She almost laughed, repositioning herself just a little closer to Odd.

"What happened to you in Belgium?" Odd asked, swinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, my family sucked. I have no idea why the stupid agency decided I would be compatible with some ale brewer." She took another drink. "Their biological kids were annoying. They taunted me constantly and got me in trouble for stuff they did. Their only girl was pretty nice, but the three boys were horrible. Well, Patrick was cool, but he was only two. My foster parents didn't let me date or have friends. They hit me once or twice but not that hard. Then when I was about sixteen my adopted sister got her period," She laughed, this time hollowly. It made Odd shiver, because that was how she laughed when she'd been beaten up almost daily.

"When I didn't know what to do she convinced her parents to take me to a fertility clinic. They did a biopsy or something along those lines and it was discovered that I'm 'sterile,' which basically means I'm barren. I can't have children. So now I'm trying to find a college that will accept me for my grades, not just give me a pity interview 'cause I'm a foster kid." She finished, anger edging her voice. Zephyr controlled herself enough not to throw her coffee cup down. Odd kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry," Was all he could find in all the world to say.

"It's fine," She assured, "I'm mainly mad about the college thing.

The reunited friends sat there, finishing their coffee and finding their eyes wandering from the stars to each other. Odd gathered up all his courage and kissed her on the cheek, grinning nervously in offering of a meek apology when she slowly faced him.

"You missed," She said through a smile.

"Huh?"

"Here," She said, once again putting a hand on his shoulder. She turned his face towards hers with the index and middle fingers of her other hand and kissed him, softly, on the lips. Both felt some strange feeling and let go of each other, embarrassed, looking anywhere but each other. But, as love often does, it dragged them together like magnets of opposite poles.

"Y'know, I think my aim's still off," Odd joked, looking at his hands. The blond got no response except for a smile.

"Well?"

Odd laughed, "Well what?"

"Well practice, of course!" She punched him lightly in the arm. Odd kissed her again, this time longer. They'd separate for a few minutes to regain their breath, then kiss again, passionately.

So they sat here, Zephyr's hands on Odd's shoulders, his hand on the side of her face, fingers in her hair, and other hand on her waist. They didn't notice the stares of passing people on foot and in cars or even the depressed poetry readers as the slam ended. They didn't notice how late it was, and they didn't even notice the stars. All they had was each other. They'd lost each other once, and they weren't about to lose each other again.

----------------------------------

I'm not good at make-out scenes. I'm going to need your help for a sequal, since you all seem interested. Just a simple plotline is all I need.

It's not quite over yet!


	14. Epilogue

Chapter 14: Epilogue

It turns out that Zephyr _did _find a college that looked at her grades, not the fact she was a foster kid. She went through four years of school at Lyon, a year behind Odd.

"It is strange," She would muse to herself, "That we've all promised to remain together as best friends and yet have gone our separate ways anyway." She didn't have her own friends; she was a year older than most of the freshman, and when asked why she would simply supply the answer that she'd taken a year off. Not surprisingly she remained extremely elusive and the envy of almost every girl her grade and in Odd's grade. The two were dating openly, but it still had a glaze of friendship. They still had their stargazing, their play fights, and their chases. They still had childhood.

When Zephyr graduated she went into psychology, her major. The red head found a children's shelter not far from her apartment or the coffee shop. Odd continued to attend school and eventually became a physics teacher, working part time as a stand up comedian to earn enough money to stay alive. He only paid half the rent; he and Zephyr had decided it would be better to go with a two bedroom apartment on the next floor up than to pay separate rents when they spent most of their time in the company of each other anyway. They'd both lost their virginity but they decided, in their defense, that it was bound to happen anyway. They didn't plan on breaking up any time soon.

Ulrich graduated from a German college and went to Japan to join Yumi. He became an immediate soccer star there, but still had a bachelor's degree to fall back on, and he needed it when he suffered a mangled ACL and was ordered by his doctor and begged by Yumi not to play again. The emerald eyed German native was crushed, so he and Yumi decided to move to England and start a family. They were soon engaged.

Jeremie and Aelita finished college in Canada at the top of their class. They decided to stay in Quebec. Aelita became a highly acclaimed doctor and Jeremie a nuclear engineer. They were engaged and soon married, living happily in Canada.

There were phone calls, text messages, and instant messages on holidays and special occasions, but never was there a reunion. With Odd and Zephyr in France, Ulrich and Yumi in England, and Jeremie and Aelita in Canada, it was difficult to plan reunions that all six could attend. All of them had remarked about how sad it was that childhood had slipped through their fingers like grains of sand, even though it wasn't completely gone.

Odd and Zephyr's best friend like quality shone through their unconditional love for one another, and they were often seen enjoying similar activities much like the night leaning against the brick coffee shop wall. Ulrich and Yumi maintained their shy relationship, but there was more maturity, and both had actually found the courage to speak up about their feelings more often. Jeremie and Aelita, being the youngest, had the cuteness as the main aspect of their relationship.

Just like caterpillars into butterflies, each person had changed as they'd grown. Yumi wore black, as always, but her shirt actually covered her midriff. Her hair had grown longer, just barely touching her shoulders. It was straight, and it had hints of curling at the ends. She had grown taller, of course, but she hadn't quite caught up with Ulrich. The Japanese woman's slanted, almond colored eyes had lightened, but still looked absolutely dark against her pale skin, which was usually sporting just a little bit of make up.

Ulrich was still ruggedly handsome, his chocolate hair askew and messy on his head. His emerald eyes often looked a person straight in the eye, something they had not done very often when he was younger. He walked with a slight limp from his irreparable ACL, but he was still fairly muscular and somewhat tall. The man's clothes were pretty much the same as they had been while he was young, but he had earned several jackets as awards from his futbol days.

Jeremie had also, fortunately, hit a growth spurt and could now escape the "geek" stereotype because he was actually quite handsome. His voice was an alto, not high and not low, and no longer did it squeak. He'd traded in his thick rimmed glasses for a square shaped pair with nice, thin wire rims to aid his brilliant bright blue eyes in sight. Jeremie's wardrobe had also changed for the better. No longer did he wear the khakis that ended mid-shin like capris- he had switched to jeans, usually dark, and a blue t-shirt. The only negative thing about it was that they usually had remembrance of the '70s with just a hint of being bell bottomed.

Aelita's hair was still cropped close to her head, but now it had a more mature look to it, and her emerald eyes had been drained of some of their innocence, which was abundant in them half a decade before. She had an efficient, business like look about her, and seemingly never had time for jokes or friendly banter. Her clothes were similar to Jeremie's, although her light green shirts were tighter and she sported a knee-length jean skirt.

So the six friends stayed in touch, especially in pairs. They had each other, they had their careers, and they had their memories from the time when a brunette boy had joke pitifully and based it on the "Drop it Like it's Hot" song, when a blond boy had rolled his eyes and gone back to his laptop, and when a drunken man had hit a defenseless girl mercilessly.

And a pale, wall-eyed girl collided with a hyper, amber eyed boy.

--------------------------------------------

I know this chapter sucked, but I had to end it somehow. Watch for the sequel, which will be coming soon. Thank you, loyal readers. I'm glad you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!


End file.
